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10th June 2021
09:56am BST

LGBTQ+ activists hold banners during a counter-protest against an anti-LGBTQ+ far-right rally in Warsaw, Poland in 2020. A counter-protest is happening on the other side of the street. (Credit: Getty)[/caption]
But this narrative is cheapened when brands slap a rainbow logo on a product they have always sold, despite - in some cases - doing little to support positive representation the rest of the year. This disingenuous symbolism only adds to the idea that queer people are shoving it in peoples' faces.
Besides the cheap tokens of a brand's 'support,' merchandise is often expensive and caters to a predominantly white, middle class demographic. For many of the queer people living in poverty, the idea of spending money on expensive Pride fashion items would be obscene.
Student, Reece Attwood, having recently joined the Alphabet Mafia, has a relatively fresh outlook on the situation. For those of you not up to date on your queer slang, Alphabet Mafia is a term adopted by the community to describe its entirety. It plays on the criticism that half of the alphabet is included in the LGBTQ+ acronym. Reece was kind enough to chat to JOE about his views on the current state of Pride.
"I think the rainbow flag is just a way of saying you’re an ally without actually doing anything for the community, passive activism," he says. "It’s a way for brands to avoid getting cancelled for not supporting LGBTQ+ rights while not actually doing anything and it caters to a straight majority, realistically."
"Because as gay people we can’t then say you’re not doing anything because there's a rainbow flag there which must mean they support the gays. It’s almost equivalent to putting BLM in your bio and then not protesting or educating yourself."
It's essential to mention that not all companies are guilty of rainbow-washing their merchandise. For instance, Fossil is selling a special edition Pride watch, for which the entirety of the proceeds will be donated to The Trevor Project. Converse is also collaborating with LGBTQ+ artists for their Pride collection.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPBFMOGBdRf/
Karen Tongson, a professor of gender and equality studies, spoke to USA today about rainbow capitalism.
"It just falls short in every possible way, in terms of actually providing systemic or structural change or justice for the community that it purports to represent," she says.
"Sure, it helps to see somebody who quote-unquote looks like you ... (but) if that's not backed up with something substantive, like a real commitment to hiring LGBTQ+ people or making sure that there are no discriminatory laws ... it's not going to make any difference because people are still going to suffer the same injustices. They'll just be able to drape themselves in rainbow gear while doing so."
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPqpz_wJWQk/
Rainbow capitalism walks a fragile line between support and exploitation. People often argue that it is a show of support, and for that, I would agree. However, the issue comes when little is done besides some hastily designed merch for June.
Instead of forcing acceptance and approval into one month, brands and governments should be uplifting and promoting queer voices throughout the entire year. If allyship is truly the aim, then choose to be vocal on issues that threaten the community, and help your company make changes that directly improve the lives of queer people.
I like a rainbow bottle as much as the next queer, and the merchandise is not actually the issue. Queer people do not call for an end to merchandise unless it's ugly - then burn it with fire - but a show of support that is not motivated by money.
https://twitter.com/EllaHunt/status/1402811799112753153
Sylvia Rivera famously said: "I was a radical, a revolutionist. I am still a revolutionist…I am glad I was in the Stonewall riot. I remember when someone threw a Molotov cocktail, I thought, “My god, the revolution is here. The revolution is finally here!"
I am not suggesting we throw firebombs during Pride, but perhaps it should be more radical and less about assimilation. Remember that as we live somewhat free, there are countries where people can still be killed by those who govern them. The fight is not over, and don't forget it.
Happy Pride. Stay unapologetically queer.Explore more on these topics: